Was that summer?

Paul Tillsley - Head of Conservation & Education

The heatwave two weeks ago was the hottest weather we have had on Exmoor for over 20 years, but it already seems a distant memory as we return to the more usual grey skies and drizzle. During the midday heat much of the wildlife was forced to take shelter from the blazing sun, with the deer tucked up in the shade of the Baronsdown beech hedges, rabbits retreating underground and even the horseflies taking a couple of hours siesta in the middle of the day, which gave us all a break from their constant biting. In contrast, Ringlet and Meadow Brown butterflies suddenly appeared in large numbers on the fields and I was treated to a Humming-bird Hawk-moth feeding on nectar-rich flowers.

Most of this year’s cohort of Red Deer calves on Baronsdown has been born and many have already joined the herd. It is lovely to see the calves interacting together in their crèche, whilst being watched over by one or two experienced hinds. Although Red Deer have no real predators in the England, it still pays to be vigilant. Occasionally stags will make a foray onto the fields to check out the herd of hinds and calves. It is, after all, only 3 months or so before breeding season starts again. The more mature more stags are currently sporting fine antler re-growth, though still covered in velvet, which makes them look a bit comical.

A call for the National Trust to stop allowing hunts on its land, amid concerns that animals are still being chased and killed under the guide of 'trail' hunting, will be heard at more than 20 sites nationwide.

Most read

As a team, we share the same passion – to stop animal cruelty in the name of sport. We are a tight knit team and we work hard within a fun, relaxed environment. We also offer something many employers don’t – an office full of friendly dogs!

Hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004, but the law has never been properly enforced, and attempts to weaken or repeal it continue. The hunting law in Scotland is weak, and hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.

Hurting and killing animals for ‘sport’ is one of the principal causes of animal cruelty in the UK: tens of millions suffer and die each year for ‘leisure’ activities. We’re here to protect those animals.

The Hunting Act 2004 is the law which bans chasing wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales – this basically means that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting are all illegal, as they all are cruel sports based on dogs chasing wild mammals.

Bullfighting is perhaps the most well known spectator “sport” involving the killing of animals for entertainment. It has already been banned in most countries, but each year tens of thousands of bulls are maimed, tortured and killed for entertainment in Spain, Portugal, France, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

The hidden side of greyhound racing includes dogs kept for long periods in lonely kennels, painful injuries from racing and training, illness and neglect. Shockingly, thousands of surplus dogs die or disappear every year. The League believes dogs should not suffer or die for entertainment or for the profit of the dog racing industry.